Manchester United have been crowned the 2025 Summer Series champions after a 2-2 draw with Everton maintained their unbeaten record in the United States.
West Ham United’s 2-0 victory over Bournemouth meant Graham Potter’s side finished just a point behind Man Utd in the table, while the Cherries came third and Everton – without a single win – finished rock bottom.
Here are five things we learned from the final two matches of this year’s tournament.
Mbeumo and Cunha impress on first start together
Finally, Man Utd fans got to see their two big-money signings in action together, and although neither Bryan Mbeumo nor Matheus Cunha scored, there were some hugely encouraging signs from both players.
Cunha’s first start, and Mbeumo’s first appearance of any description, dominated the talk in Atlanta. And for 45 minutes, they didn’t disappoint.
Mbeumo started as the No 9 with Cunha and Bruno Fernandes the two No 10s in Amorim’s 3-4-2-1, creating a fluid front line that bamboozled the Everton defence early on.
Cunha and Mbeumo interacted impressively, the sharp one-touch football between them and Fernandes leading directly to the penalty from which Man Utd took the lead.
What stood out most was the verticality of the two new signings.
Cunha received the ball on the half-turn, ready to drive through the lines, while Mbeumo’s movement into the channels gave Man Utd's midfielders the option to attack with far greater urgency.
The forward thrust of Mbeumo and Cunha could redefine how Amorim's side play this season.
Man Utd 2-2 Everton highlights
Man Utd looked like an Amorim team in the first half – before getting 'lazy'
It wasn’t just Cunha and Mbeumo who made Man Utd look sharp in the first half.
Leny Yoro commanded the back three, Kobbie Mainoo was solid in midfield, and Amad was again alert and involved as a right wing-back.
Not for the first time this summer, Man Utd looked far more cohesive and tactically astute than they were under Amorim last summer.
That being said, their captain, Fernandes, wasn’t happy with how the performance suddenly slipped after substantial changes were made in the second half, among them the withdrawal of Mbeumo.
"We didn't want to finish in this way," said Fernandes, after his side were twice pegged back by Everton.
"Our performance wasn't the best and we were a little bit lazy today. We want to avoid that because with laziness you can pay at any moment.
"Every small thing matters. At this football club, you cannot do anything wrong on or off the pitch because [the club] is too big worldwide and you get punished by that."
If he had said it during the Premier League season, and if results were poor, then headlines about the captain accusing his own team of being "lazy" would be unhelpful.
But in this context, it’s simply evidence that standards are now as high as they should be.
The captain, rightly, is ready to make sure the players fight in every moment.
That’s how Amorim saw it too. When asked specifically about Fernandes' "lazy" comment, Amorim replied: "I think I'm happy for the players to have that feeling."
Everton show substantial improvement as Tarkowski returns
David Moyes was pleased with a more coherent and efficient performance from his Everton team, who were able to match Man Utd once Mbeumo had left the field.
"It wasn't so much the result, it was more the performance that was much more encouraging," Moyes said after the game.
"We knew that tonight we were a bit closer to something which looked like an Everton team. The other games, we've not really looked that way. So, yes, [I was] much happier tonight."
Iliman Ndiaye and Charly Alcaraz both played well, flanking Beto, who was unlucky to have an early goal disallowed for offside, but best of all from an Everton perspective was the return of James Tarkowski, back in the starting XI for the first time since April.
Moyes has repeatedly said Everton need new signings. But even without any, they look set to be competitive again.
Diouf and Fullkrug signal West Ham are back on the up
"He has only been here a few weeks but you would think he has been here years."
Jarrod Bowen’s assessment of new signing El Hadji Malick Diouf said it all about an excellent performance from West Ham's new left-back, who helped to create both of the Hammers' goals against Bournemouth with superb crosses from the left.
Niclas Fullkrug isn’t new but in 2025/26 he may feel like a new signing.
The West Ham striker scored his second goal in two games, continuing his summer revival.
And the same can be said of Lucas Paqueta, one of the best players on the pitch just days after he was cleared of spot-fixing charges.
West Ham haven’t been the most active team in this summer transfer window.
But signing new players can be overrated. There are plenty of players – Fullkrug and Paqueta chief among them – who could be revived under Graham Potter.
Bournemouth 0-2 West Ham highlights
Traore display helps Iraola see positives in defeat
"We can take a lot of very good things from the game and there are also things to improve," Andoni Iraola told Sky Sports, after his Bournemouth side lost to West Ham.
"To concede two goals with the way we played, it's not the best thing. But I leave here thinking we have some really good things to build around.
"It's been a great experience for everyone. We've played three high-quality games."
That might sound overly optimistic for a 2-0 defeat but Iraola has a point. Bournemouth were the better team throughout, hitting the woodwork three times in total, including a shocking Evanilson miss from two yards.
Hamed Traore, who hit the frame with a 25-yard shot, was – again – the brightest spark for the Cherries.
The midfielder's Bournemouth career is yet to get going, but after returning from a loan spell at Napoli last season, he looks ready to kick on.